A happy ending: Two grey whales stranded on B.C. beach headed back to sea

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans says a grey whale and its calf that became stranded in Boundary Bay, south of Vancouver are now headed back out to open sea.

The DFO announced the good news on Twitter late Friday night, hours after a marine mammal response team was sent in with a vessel and refloatation equipment to try to help the whales get back into deeper waters.

The Fisheries Department thanked the aquarium and the response team for their help in assisting the mother and calf after the whales were spotted near Centennial Park, in Delta, B.C., not far from the U.S. border.

There have been several report of grey whales washing ashore along the North American coast this year as the whales make their annual migration north from Mexico to Alaska.

Experts have said several of the whales have died from malnutrition, although others have been struck by ships.